If you're feeling spicy and want to concoct the perfect pairing for nachos, tacos, and burritos, then you're in luck, because we talked to professional experts to find out just why salsa tastes so much better at a restaurant.
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00:00If you're feeling spicy and want to concoct the perfect pairing for nachos,
00:05tacos, and burritos, then you're in luck, because we talked to professional experts
00:09to find out just why salsa tastes so much better at a restaurant.
00:13When you make salsa at home, you might pick up whatever tomatoes you can find at the store
00:18and use pickled jalapenos that have been languishing at the back of your fridge for
00:21months. But restaurants tend to utilize high-quality ingredients, and this attention
00:25to sourcing can make all the difference. According to Antonio Devio, the chef de cuisine
00:30at Tamayo in Denver, using ripe tomatoes, fresh chiles, and just-picked herbs ensures that each
00:35bite is bursting with flavor. Quality ingredients bring out the natural flavors, making the salsa
00:40more authentic and enjoyable. Alex Deyes, the chef at Sor Ines in Philadelphia, very much agrees,
00:46as he also maintains that choosing quality ingredients is key to quality salsa.
00:50So rather than using watery grocery store tomatoes, hit up your local farmer's market
00:54for quality heirloom varieties. Or if you have a Mexican market in your area,
00:58look there for quality chiles or ingredients like tomatillos.
01:02While using the freshest ingredients possible is ideal, it may not always be possible.
01:07Even at restaurants, there may be times of the year when produce isn't at its finest,
01:11or delivery might come in with watery tomatoes and chefs need to pivot. So Alex Deyes recommends,
01:16If access to fresh, seasonal produce is challenging, you can char the ingredients
01:20to help bring out their flavor profiles. Charring doesn't have to be limited to
01:24improving poor quality ingredients. In fact, it's a method restaurants often use for certain
01:28salsa types and can complement meats like carne asada quite well. Roasting and charring generally
01:34intensify the flavors of ingredients, and the resulting salsa tastes rich and smoky rather
01:38than fresh and light. If this sounds like your favorite restaurant salsa, you can roast or broil
01:43veggies to make your own intense variety. This not only concentrates the flavors, making the
01:47ingredients richer and sweeter, but as browning occurs, it brings out extra flavor compounds.
01:53One of the reasons why restaurant salsa is so good is that professional chefs know how to make a wide
01:58range of varieties. Salsa simply means sauce in Spanish, and some traditional Mexican salsas are
02:03quite different from what you might imagine. For instance, they might contain avocado and tomatillos,
02:08or they could feature red onions as the main ingredient. As Antonio Tavio notes,
02:12some of the basics include salsa roja, which is made with ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic,
02:17and chiles. Then there's salsa verde, typically made with tomatillos and green chiles like
02:21jalapeños or serranos. There are cooked salsas, and then there are also boiled salsas, the latter
02:26of which are generally creamier because of emulsification. And then there are raw salsas,
02:31like pico de gallo.
02:32"'Taste the pico de gallo of a man's heart!"
02:35One reason that homemade salsa might not be reaching the heights of your restaurant favorites
02:39could be because you aren't paying enough attention to acidic ingredients, like lime or
02:43vinegar. As Antonio Tavio advises, acidity is crucial in balancing the flavors and adding
02:48brightness to the salsa. Many home cooks might not realize how much acidity can elevate a salsa.
02:53It cuts through the richness of other ingredients and enhances the overall flavor, making the salsa
02:58more refreshing and lively. However, not every chef believes that lime or vinegar are necessary
03:03in salsa, with some exceptions. As Alex Deyes notes, in Mexico, the only salsas we would add
03:08lime to are salsa verde or guacamole. Deyes thinks that some recipes begin using limes or acidic
03:13ingredients to help make them more shelf-stable, but at Sor Ines, he doesn't add acidic components
03:18to the salsa. In general, salsa does need acidity, but the tomatoes in a red salsa are already acidic.
03:24If you're looking to improve your homemade version, you might want to experiment with
03:27different levels of acidity to find the right balance. You might try to limit the amount of
03:32salt you use at home, but this common ingredient does play an important role in the kitchen.
03:37It elevates flavors by intensifying the taste of other ingredients, like tomatoes and onions.
03:41In a commercial kitchen, chefs carefully balance salt and know just how much to add to make it
03:46taste great. As Antonio Tavio reveals, salt is a key ingredient in salsa. It enhances the natural
03:52flavors and brings everything together. According to Tavio, the perfect amount of salt highlights
03:57the sweetness of the tomatoes, the kick of the chiles, and the brightness of the herbs.
04:00Alex Deyes agrees about the impotence of this key ingredient, as he notes,
04:04the key is to use kosher salt, which isn't as processed, so it doesn't have a harsh bite like
04:09table salt does. You'll find oil in some restaurant salsas, which might differ from
04:14homemade or store-bought varieties. Although oil isn't a necessary ingredient in all salsas,
04:19it can make a huge difference in certain varieties. As Alex Deyes details,
04:23we don't use oil or fats in our salsa unless it's a salsa macha.
04:26Salsa macha is an oil-based salsa made with chile de arbol and is known for its spice level.
04:31The flavor is affected by the specific oil that you use. For Deyes' salsa macha,
04:36he opts for avocado oil. Antonio Tavio generally avoids oil in traditional flavors because it can
04:41change their purity. But, he also notes, in some roasted or cooked salsas, a little oil can help
04:46to mellow out the heat and bring a smooth texture. The richness of oil balances out the acidity in
04:51certain recipes, so you might not need oil in your salsa, but you shouldn't shy away from using it
04:56where it's called for.
04:57Well, they look better when they're oiled up.
04:59Another common mistake when making homemade salsa is failing to balance the flavors. But
05:03achieving equilibrium is something that professional chefs are trained in. It's often
05:07learned through trial and error since various factors can impact it. You can't just follow
05:12a recipe and expect the same results or perfect balance every time. As Antonio Tavio advises,
05:17balancing flavors in salsa is an art. You need to consider the sweetness of the tomatoes,
05:22the heat from the chiles, the acidity from the lime, and the freshness of the herbs.
05:26But all of these elements can vary, as some tomatoes are sweeter than others and some
05:30limes are more acidic. Therefore, finding the right balance requires tweaking every time,
05:34as well as someone who knows what they're doing. As Tavio notes,
05:38sometimes adding a touch of sugar or a little extra lime juice can make all the difference.
05:42Balance also includes considering ingredient ratios so that one doesn't overpower the rest.
05:47As an example, Alex Deyes shares,
05:49A mistake I've seen home chefs make is using too many peppers in their salsa.
05:53One trick is to use peppers as 20 percent of the salsa.
05:57Chefs at Mexican restaurants almost always use fresh herbs in their salsa.
06:00Dried counterparts can be useful in some dishes, but don't taste exactly the same
06:04and can't be used interchangeably. Antonio Tavio is definitely someone who prefers fresh
06:09herbs over dried ones. As he put it,
06:11Fresh herbs bring a vibrant, aromatic quality to the salsa that dried herbs simply can't match.
06:16Cilantro, in particular, should always be fresh. And as Alex Deyes explains,
06:20Dried herbs are more potent, ounce for ounce, meaning that you can't just switch
06:24fresh herbs for dried ones in a recipe and expect the same results. Also,
06:28fresh herbs are also more easily distributed throughout a salsa.
06:32When making salsa at home, you might be tempted to use whatever chiles you can get your hands on
06:36at the supermarket. Similarly, many commercial producers will use anything that's cheap to
06:41give their product a kick. A good restaurant, however, will utilize their hot peppers with
06:45a lot more consideration. As Antonio Tavio revealed to Mashed,
06:49I use a variety of chiles depending on the salsa, from jalapenos and serranos to habaneros
06:54and guajillos. The source is very important, as chiles grown in the right conditions have a more
06:59consistent flavor and heat level. Tavio prefers to source his chiles from regions like Oaxaca or
07:04Puebla, which are known for their quality. Unsurprisingly, Alex Deyes is also picky
07:08about his chili peppers, as he reveals,
07:10We mainly use serrano peppers in our salsas, but if you prefer a milder spice, use jalapenos.
07:15He suggests shopping for hot peppers at Mexican grocery stores if you can't get any that are
07:19grown in your region. These will usually come directly from Mexico, where peppers are in season
07:24all year.
07:25That smells like a pepper inferno up in this piece!
07:29Sometimes salsa is disappointing because there's too much of a bite from raw ingredients with a
07:33strong taste, specifically garlic and onion. Fortunately, there are a few chef-approved
07:37tips to mellow them out so that you can enjoy raw salsas without suffering major garlic breath.
07:42According to Antonio Tavio, one trick is to soak the chopped onions in cold water for a
07:46few minutes before adding them to the salsa. This removes some of the harshness and makes
07:51the onion flavor more subtle. He also suggests roasting garlic before adding it to the salsa
07:55so as to mellow out the sharpness and achieve a flavor that's sweeter and more complex.
07:59You could also adjust the type of salsa you make if you don't like overly pungent garlic or onions.
08:04Alex Deyes also suggests possibly grilling or oven-roasting the salsa. Ultimately,
08:09it all comes down to the fact that heat will tame the intensity of these ingredients.
08:13There's one important step that's all too easy to skip when making salsa — resting.
08:18At most high-quality restaurants, there's some essential time between making salsa and serving it.
08:23As Antonio Tavio explains, this allows the flavors to meld together and develop a deeper,
08:27more complex taste. As the salsa rests, the flavor compounds mix and mingle,
08:32so it tastes better with a more even blend of ingredients across every bite.
08:35All you need to do to achieve this is make the salsa ahead of time. If you're in a pinch,
08:39make it before you start on any of the other components of your meal. Although,
08:43if you have the time, you could make it a few hours or even a day or two in advance.
08:47"...relax, take your time."
08:49They say a bad worker blames their tools, but when it comes right down to it, using the equipment you
08:54have in your home kitchen probably won't give you the same results as the proper gear that's
08:58typically found at a restaurant. For example, there's the molcajete, which is a traditional
09:02Mexican mortar and pestle that's used to grind the ingredients. As Antonio Tavio reveals,
09:06it can add a special touch that enhances the overall flavor and texture.
09:10In contrast, most people making salsa at home are probably going to use a blender or food processor,
09:15but a molcajete gives you more control over how chunky or smooth it turns out. It's harder to
09:20achieve that level of finesse with a food processor. You also release more flavor
09:24compounds using a mortar and pestle, so the finished result will be tastier overall.
09:29We've already mentioned the importance of balance, but great chefs take things even further.
09:34Rather than just making sure that the salsa is balanced in and of itself,
09:37they'll also check how it pairs with whatever it's being served with.
09:40Antonio Tavio notes that you should taste your salsa along with the food that it's going to
09:44be served with, while adding,
09:46"...sometimes a salsa might taste perfect on its own, but when paired with food,
09:49it might need a little more salt or lime juice."
09:52Simply put, if you want the restaurant-quality salsa of your dreams, you have to go beyond
09:56basic balance and look at the whole picture. So consider what you're serving, and adjust as
10:01necessary. For instance, if you're eating salted tortilla chips, you can probably go light on the
10:06salt. Ideally, you should taste all the components together before you serve the dish, and then make
10:10changes to the salsa as needed.